1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to nozzles, and more particularly to swirler elements for nozzles for swirling fluid flowing through the nozzle, for example as in spray dry nozzles.
2. Description of Related Art
Fluid nozzles or atomizers having spiral swirl chambers have been employed for various applications including spray drying, aeration, cooling, and fuel injection. Such nozzles operate by forcing a fluid composed of a liquid and a suspension, dispersion, emulsion, or slip of abrasive material through a swirl chamber. The swirl chamber changes the direction of the liquid and imparts a rotation or swirl to the fluid flow. This causes the fluid to exit the nozzle in a cone of small droplets that are well dispersed into the environment outside the nozzle.
In applications such as spray drying, the fluid feed pressure supplies the energy for fluid atomizing. The fluid feed pressure can exceed 5,000 psi, and in certain applications, exceeds 10,000 psi. Because of the nature of the fluid and the high pressure of the pumping process, swirl units can require frequent replacement due to erosion of the surfaces defining the swirl chamber. Replacement requires taking the process equipment out of service, replacing the eroded swirler unit, and returning the process equipment to service. Such replacement events reduce the availability of the process equipment during the replacement process.
Conventional swirler units have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is a need for swirler units that allow for increased usable life. There is also a continuing need for swirler units that are easy to make and use. The present disclosure provides solutions to these needs.